Wouldnât be so sure. Lot of legs gone in that Ballygunner team. Doon had 3 very good goal chances today and butchered them all. Soki won that game for Ballygunner. Team that can run hard at Ballygunner and score can beat them. Whether there is such a team out there is the question.
Ballygunner will bring the trundle wheel up.
I think Willie confiscated it
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True but when they get that passing game going itâs hard to stop and ends up tiring out opponents running around like eejits.
Dessie was sensational in the second half. Pat Fitz not far behind.
Loughmore probably donât have the same amount of line breakers as Doon but are less likely to miss if they get in.
I do think the winners of Ballygunner v Loughmore will make the All Ireland.
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Munster SHC first round
Doon (Limerick) 0-20 Ballygunner (Waterford) 0-25, Gaelic Grounds FT
Leinster Club SFC first round
Dunshaughlin (MH) 2-4 St Lomans (WH) 2-16, Pairc Tailteann FT
St Maryâs Ardee (LH) 3-14 Abbeylara (LD) 2-8, DEFY Pairc Mhuire, Ardee FT
Portarlington (LS) 0-10 Tinahely (WW) 2-5, Laois Hire OâMoore Park FT
Kildare SHC final
Maynooth 0-12 Naas 3-20, Cedral St Conleths Park FT
Wexford SHC final
St. Martinâs 1-21 St. Anneâs Rathangan 0-19, Chadwicks Wexford Park FT
Limerick SFC Final
Adare 1-10 Fr. Caseyâs 0-8, Mick Neville Park FT
Sligo SFC Final replay
Coolera-Strandhill 0-8 St. Molaise Gaels 0-7, Markievicz Park FT
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I thought Coughlan was really good for the majority of today, their half back line though isnât strong enough and got penetrated way too easily at times today. Phillip Mahony looks to have lost a couple of yards - he only got back for a county quarter final and hasnât seemed 100% fit all year. Shane Sullivan will likely come back in the next day at half back if recovers from a knock. Paddy Leavey was quiet but sacrificed his game to man mark English to a tee in the 2nd half. Derek knew to get Barry Murphy as tight as possible on Paudie Mahony to stop that outball which worked well with O Donavon their as cover. Conor Sheehan has serious energy in midfield and probably gunners most consistent player this year will likely get back into Waterford set up.
Loughmore will pray for rain in two weeks and Iâd give them a fighting chance if they get it and have Meaghar back intergrated.
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Things looking up for Meath football.
Doon play a sweeper which, given the week they have, probably made it very hard for the 5 forwards to sustain the necessary work rate for 60 minutes (I mean, itâs always tough and Ballygunner are well-seasoned but they worked their socks off in the first 60 and Ballygunner were always going to find space).
A Dean Coleman or Donal Coughlan off the bench for Doon could have made a big difference but youâre never going to have everyone, I suppose. If they got the goal, maybe they would have won, maybe not, certainly would have made it interesting.
But Doon were very disappointed to cough up two soft goals against Na Piarsaigh; with the sweeper there, they would be very disappointed to have conceded today but Ballygunner eventually found their rhythm, found those men out the field and got their scores.
Loughmore will presumably go toe-to-toe with them; they donât have the same pace and runners from deep that Doon have but they wonât give them the spare man for free. And probably have more clinical goalscorers than Doon have (youâd have been disappointed with Simonâs effort, Adam English is their other goalscorer really).
I actually felt Doon didnât trust their corner-backs enough. It was losing a few of their own long puckouts in a row that killed them. Cormac Bug is a hurler, first and foremost. Cian OâDonovan is a midfielder playing corner-back. Only Eoin Fitzgibbon is not naturally comfortable on the ball which is the one thing Doon have in their favour. Maybe the tiredness kicked in, but they went away from that a bit in the second half and started lumping it down on Maher and won no breaks.
If you donât have a puckout strategy against Ballygunner, you wonât win. Loughmore will need that.
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Watched back the 2022 game quickly between Loughmore and Gunners there in Dungarvan. Ballygunner starter with wind and Dessie caused wreck on Lorcan Egan in first ten minutes scoring three from play and involved in a goal. Loughmore dropped a sweeper back shortly after and went very direct and could have two goals but for Soky. Noel McGrath sent off for a shoulder to chest off the ball in Leavy which was probably a yellow but Johnny Murphy redeemed himself giving Loughmore 3/4 awful soft frees before HT to make it 1-8 to 0-9. Conditions worsened 2nd when LC had the wind but Dessie started where le left off with a point and wining a penalty which Soky missed before setting up a 2nd goal. After Ciaran Connolly got this 3rd from midfield both defences dominated until up steps Johnny Murphy to award a phantom penalty to LC. John McGrath who was deservedly booked earlier in the game swipes the ball out of Coughlanâs hand gets a 2nd booking and the penalty is cancelled. Dessie got the insurance score late on after missing two handy scores in the conditions and picked up another Motm award.
Key take aways from it were Connolly and John Meaghar had powerful games for LC and defended really well for the most part bar the absolute mismatch on Hutchinson. Given him and Paddy Fitz combined for 0-10 yesterday LC will have to send two out and out man markets after them. They lacked slightly up top even taking into account Noel was gone after 25 mins, Iâd target Gunners half backs and play Noel out wide - Iâd expect Gunners to put Leavy on him if he takes up 11 and Phillip sits. Mouthwatering game to look forward to.
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Glyn has 20 years spent hurling with the Kilgarvan hurlers
a good player - getting on a bit now
A stallion man!
The football championship as always is shaping up nicely. Lots of teams that should consider themselves in with a shot.
Naas have been knocking on the door for a few years and might trouble Cuala. Does Con play this match actually? St Lomans will have a good shot too with Heslin and McCartan.
Ulster is open once again but Kilcoo obvious favourites. Errigal are a quality outfit, and Newbridge/Clann should be a fiery encounter with the winner having surely a fair bit of confidence.
Munster is always quite open and no different this year. Crokes and Castlehaven this weekend will bring through the favourite for the province but Eire Og will have no fear, they should have beaten KOR two years ago. Adare are a nice side but havenât proven themselves at all yet beyond Limerick like NCW have. Loughmore will find it difficult with the hurling but for many years now have been a right good side in big ball.
In Connacht, Corofin have a new lease of life and I reckon this time they will win out Connacht after Brigids upsetting them last year. Pearses are full of talent but so much star quality throughout Corofinâs team. Ballina were a no show last year and I donât expect them to be any more this year.
All in all, itâs shaping up beautifully. This time of year is very exciting in club football circles as right now, many sides will have real aspirations to get to even an AI final. Looking forward to the new update of @peddlerscross Power Rankings.
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But the ref was wrong. Only contact with a keeper in the small rectangle can be incidental when heâs playing the ball.
Slapping the keeper on the wrist to dislodge the ball or holding the keeper are both fouls.
The keeper could have dealt with it better and it was good work by Rory as the best outcome was what happened. And his worst outcome was a free out.
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Powers going 1/5 Ballygunner and 4/1 Loughmore.
Sarsfields 4/6 Feakle 6/4 in the other one.
The Brickey Rangers vs Abbeydorney match was a classic Buff Egan piece of broadcasting.
Pile on Feakle.
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Agreed on Feakle